Sussan Ley says nation should ‘unite under the one Australian flag'; dodges questions on nuclear energy in first address as Liberal leader
Sussan Ley has said the nation 'should unite under the one Australian flag", whist remaining coy on the future of nuclear energy in her first official address as Opposition Leader.
Ms Ley was elected as the first female leader of the federal Liberal Party after defeating rival candidate Angus Taylor in a tightly contested ballot on Tuesday morning.
She won 29 of the party room votes compared to 25 for the shadow treasurer. The deputy leadership ballot was won by shadow energy minister Ted O'Brien.
In her first address as Opposition Leader, Ms Ley stood firm by her former boss Mr Dutton's belief that people should 'unite under the one Australian flag'.
When asked if she thought it was divisive to appear in front of the Aboriginal flag, Ms Ley insisted that the one flag policy was her 'firm view' but conceded she was 'happy to stand in front of the Indigenous flag' having done so previously.
She was also questioned by a reporter about her thoughts on Welcome to Country ceremonies and whether she believed they were necessary, stating that if the ritual was 'simple, if it matters, if it resonates, then it's in the right place'.
'If it is done in a way to tick a box on a Teams meeting then I don't think it is relevant. I think it diminishes the value of (Welcome to Country),' Ms Ley said.
The Liberal leader dodged questions about the future of the Coalition's controversial nuclear energy policy, after vowing there would be 'no captain calls' under her tenure.
She refused to back in the party's pledge to build federally-owned nuclear power stations and said the Coalition 'would work through every single policy issue and canvas the different views and take the time to get it right'.
'You might hear me saying, 'take the time to get it right' quite a lot this morning. Because that's really important," the Opposition Leader continued.
Flanked by Mr O'Brien who served as a vocal supporter and designer of the nuclear plan, Ms Ley added the policy would be subject to a review by the party room.
The unresolved issue remains a contentious topic within the wider Coalition, with Nationals leader David Littleproud stating his party would continue to pursue the nuclear agenda while moderate Liberal members openly criticised the policy.
Turning her attention to the issue of women, Ms Ley conceded the Coalition had failed the crucial demographic at the May 3 election and the Liberal Party needed to do more to secure the backing of women of all ages around the country.
'We did let women down. There is no doubt about that and that is true the number of women who are supporting us is declining," she said.
Ms Ley also added more women were needed in the Liberal Party but stopped short of endorsing gender quotas for party pre-selection, despite previously backing the idea to boost the number of women within the parliamentary ranks.
"I want to say right here and now we need more women in our party. We need more women in the organisation, and we need more women in this party room," she said.
"Had we done better at the last election we would have outstanding women in the party room… Our fortunes when it comes to electoral defeat unfortunately mean we lose strong women."
She fiercely rejected assumptions her appointment to the Liberal leadership was an example of the 'glass cliff' effect, which refers to women being more likely to be appointed to management positions when an organisation faces turmoil or a crisis.
"I don't accept that," she said.
"I do say it sends a signal to the women of Australia that the Liberal Party has elected its first woman leader but my agenda is much more than that".
The former deputy leader acknowledged Mr Taylor for nominating for the party leadership and promised he would have an 'integral role' in the party moving forward, evidently hinting at a senior position in the shadow frontbench.
'He would have been a fine leader of the Liberal Party at this time,' she said.
Ms Ley added she would still move to appoint MPs to the shadow ministry who didn't vote for her and stressed there was no bad blood between her and Jacinta Nampijinpa Price.
Senator Price defected from the Nationals party room to seek the deputy Liberal leader position, but did not nominate herself after Mr Taylor's bid proved unsuccessful.
'I welcomed Jacinta into the party room this morning with a big hug, and many of my colleagues did. Jacinta is a clear and talented communicator. I want to make it clear, and I have many times, how much we welcome Jacinta into this party room," Ms Ley said.
'I will have more to say about the shaping of my shadow cabinet going forward, but I will say this - my shadow cabinet will include people who did support me in this room this morning, and people who did not."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
7NEWS
an hour ago
- 7NEWS
Hyundai expects an exodus of brands due to new Australian emissions regulations
Australia's stringent new vehicle emissions regulations are set to send a host of auto brands running from these shores, according to local Hyundai chief Don Romano. The ink officially dried on the federal government's New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES) at the start of this year, bringing with it legislation designed to reduce the carbon footprint of the Australian car market. While the NVES came into effect on January 1, 2025, penalties won't start being accrued until July 1. The recent federal election brought with it some uncertainty about the NVES, with former Liberal leader Peter Dutton promising to scrap the legislation. However, in the wake of Labor's win led by Anthony Albanese, there's no longer any doubt about whether it will be enforced. Speaking to CarExpert at the launch of the pint-size Hyundai Inster electric SUV, Mr Romano said that many automakers will be caught off guard by the punitive new regulations. Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now. 'When it comes down to NVES, there's going to be a lot of brands that are going to start falling apart because they're burying their heads in the sand,' said Mr Romano. 'They're not doing the math, they're not looking at just how much this is going to cost them to stay in business in Australia. 'I think you're going to see an exodus. You're going to see a number of brands that finally say 'I can't do it', unless the government that we just re-elected makes the decision to go in a different direction, which I think is unlikely given the election results.' Hyundai has backed the NVES from early in the piece, expressing confidence in meeting the Australian Government's tightening CO2 targets between 2025 and 2029. However, some of its rivals have been less supportive and others including Toyota have indicated that fines would ultimately be passed onto consumers in the form of price hikes. Having taken over as Hyundai Australia CEO just a few months ago, Mr Romano will lead the brand in its response to NVES with a focus on electric vehicles (EVs) and other 'future energy' initiatives. 'Let's do it like Europe, [where] they're just going, 'okay, we've got to live with it, let's deal with it'. And guess what we're seeing right now in Europe? A resurgence in EVs,' he said. While Hyundai is prepared to tackle tightening emissions regulations, Mr Romano still sees significant room for improvement in how policy is used to accelerate the transition towards greener forms of transport. 'What the government is doing is half-baked,' he concluded. 'They're pushing us to move to BEVs, only us. What they're missing, not just in Australia but everywhere, is the fact that the gas [petroleum] companies aren't being pushed to put in the charging infrastructure. 'If you were to do that, I think that resurgence would push even higher. Right now we're at 20 per cent BEVs in Europe, with a much more robust charging infrastructure. 'Once you start doing that, then you start getting economies of scale, and then all the costs start to come down. At that point you're going to see all the advantages of BEVs, and they'll be less expensive ultimately than an ICE vehicle. 'The only way to get there… is to have a more robust charging infrastructure that engenders a lot of confidence in buyers to buy.' Less than one in 10 vehicles sold in Australia last year were EVs (91,292 of more than 1.22 million), although that number was up 4.7 per cent on the previous year.
Sky News AU
an hour ago
- Sky News AU
Trade Minister Don Farrell pushes Trump administration to scrap ‘unjustified' tariffs on Australian goods
Trade Minister Don Farrell has expressed optimism that the Albanese government can secure the removal of tariffs imposed by the United States President Donald Trump. Sky News understands that a deal was initially struck to exempt Australia from US steel tariffs, but it was later scuttled by trade adviser Peter Navarro. Mr Farrell said that he would not 'speculate on what might or might not have occurred' but acknowledged he did offer a critical minerals deal. Mr Farrell told Sky News Sunday Agenda the trade barrier set up by President Trump was 'unjustified' and promised to keep pressing the case with senior officials. He held two meetings last week in Paris with Jamieson Greer, the Acting United States Trade Representative, and said negotiations were ongoing. 'I did meet Jamieson Greer. I met him twice, and that's on top of previous conversations I've had with him,' Mr Farrell said. 'The position I put to Jamieson Greer is that the tariffs that the United States have imposed on Australia are unjustified.' Mr Farrell noted that trade between Australia and the US is heavily tilted in America's favour — approximately $30 billion annually. 'There is no justification for the United States to impose tariffs on Australia…We want all of the tariffs removed, not just some of them removed,' he said. Mr Farrell confirmed that Mr Greer acknowledged any tariff decision would ultimately rest with President Trump. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and President Trump are expected to meet on the sidelines of the G7 summit in mid-June 2025. 'These are ultimately decisions that the President of the United States will make,' Mr Farrell said. 'But I am certainly of the view that we have the opportunity to continue to talk… to put our case across that these tariffs on Australia are simply unjustified.' When asked whether it was up to Mr Albanese to land a breakthrough directly with the President, Mr Farrell said he was confident in the possibility of an exemption. 'I have the greatest confidence in our Prime Minister to push the Australian point of view on this issue,' he said. Mr Farrell also said he would continue to pursue open and 'honest discussion' with US counterparts, including Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, to secure a fairer deal. The opposition has criticised the Albanese government over the lack of progress, pointing to a recent deal that saw the United Kingdom secure a 50 per cent reduction in steel tariffs from the US. Mr Farrell did not confirm whether Australia could achieve a similar arrangement but insisted that his position — demanding full removal — was principled and justified. 'We're buying more than we're selling to them,' he said. 'It doesn't make any sense at all to impose a tariff on Australia.'
Perth Now
an hour ago
- Perth Now
Hyundai expects an exodus of brands due to new Australian emissions regulations
Australia's stringent new vehicle emissions regulations are set to send a host of auto brands running from these shores, according to local Hyundai chief Don Romano. The ink officially dried on the federal government's New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES) at the start of this year, bringing with it legislation designed to reduce the carbon footprint of the Australian car market. While the NVES came into effect on January 1, 2025, penalties won't start being accrued until July 1. The recent federal election brought with it some uncertainty about the NVES, with former Liberal leader Peter Dutton promising to scrap the legislation. However, in the wake of Labor's win led by Anthony Albanese, there's no longer any doubt about whether it will be enforced. Speaking to CarExpert at the launch of the pint-size Hyundai Inster electric SUV, Mr Romano said that many automakers will be caught off guard by the punitive new regulations. Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now. Supplied Credit: CarExpert 'When it comes down to NVES, there's going to be a lot of brands that are going to start falling apart because they're burying their heads in the sand,' said Mr Romano. 'They're not doing the math, they're not looking at just how much this is going to cost them to stay in business in Australia. 'I think you're going to see an exodus. You're going to see a number of brands that finally say 'I can't do it', unless the government that we just re-elected makes the decision to go in a different direction, which I think is unlikely given the election results.' Hyundai has backed the NVES from early in the piece, expressing confidence in meeting the Australian Government's tightening CO2 targets between 2025 and 2029. However, some of its rivals have been less supportive and others including Toyota have indicated that fines would ultimately be passed onto consumers in the form of price hikes. Having taken over as Hyundai Australia CEO just a few months ago, Mr Romano will lead the brand in its response to NVES with a focus on electric vehicles (EVs) and other 'future energy' initiatives. Supplied Credit: CarExpert 'Let's do it like Europe, [where] they're just going, 'okay, we've got to live with it, let's deal with it'. And guess what we're seeing right now in Europe? A resurgence in EVs,' he said. While Hyundai is prepared to tackle tightening emissions regulations, Mr Romano still sees significant room for improvement in how policy is used to accelerate the transition towards greener forms of transport. 'What the government is doing is half-baked,' he concluded. 'They're pushing us to move to BEVs, only us. What they're missing, not just in Australia but everywhere, is the fact that the gas [petroleum] companies aren't being pushed to put in the charging infrastructure. 'If you were to do that, I think that resurgence would push even higher. Right now we're at 20 per cent BEVs in Europe, with a much more robust charging infrastructure. Supplied Credit: CarExpert 'Once you start doing that, then you start getting economies of scale, and then all the costs start to come down. At that point you're going to see all the advantages of BEVs, and they'll be less expensive ultimately than an ICE vehicle. 'The only way to get there… is to have a more robust charging infrastructure that engenders a lot of confidence in buyers to buy.' Less than one in 10 vehicles sold in Australia last year were EVs (91,292 of more than 1.22 million), although that number was up 4.7 per cent on the previous year. MORE: Everything Hyundai MORE: How Hyundai Australia's new boss plans to reverse Korean brand's sales slide
